This invention relates to the field of hanging devices, and provides a hanger for supporting tubular structures such as plastic pipes, copper tubing, or other kinds of tubing.
Pipes used in plumbing and heating are often suspended from structural elements such as beams and joists, or attached to walls. Hanging devices are needed to affix the pipes to the beams, joists, walls, or other support structure. In the prior art, it has been known to use metal tube straps, wire pipe hooks, or bell hangers. FIG. 1A shows a bell hanger of the prior art. FIGS. 1B and 1C show a wire hook and a tube strap, respectively. The devices shown in FIGS. 1A-1C have historically been used with metal pipe, such as copper pipe.
Pipes used in modern plumbing are often made of plastic. As plastic piping has become more common, it has become customary to suspend such piping with straps (shown in FIG. 2A), suspension clamps (shown in FIG. 2B), and talons (shown in FIG. 2C), all made of plastic. The most popular of the hanging devices of FIGS. 2A-2C is the talon, primarily because it is sold with a pre-loaded nail. However, the talon has the disadvantage that it does not completely surround the pipe, and does not completely isolate the pipe from the adjacent support structure. Although the talon defines a circular recess which would appear to isolate the pipe from the nearby support structure, the talon usually fails, in practice, to prevent the pipe from touching the support structure, because insertion of the nail into the wall also forces the pipe against the wall. The talon is also difficult to use under beams as a suspension clamp, where nails must be driven vertically overhead. Also, the talon has a limited load carrying capacity.
The suspension clamp of FIG. 2B does isolate the pipe from the support structure. Also, the nails are driven horizontally, which makes it much easier to attach the clamp to the support structure. However, the suspension clamp has the disadvantage that it requires two nails. This disadvantage is especially problematic when an unassisted installer tries to manipulate both the pipe and the two nails while installing the clamp.
Apart from the talon, none of the prior art devices mentioned above has a pre-loaded nail. Moreover, in all cases except for the talon, it is necessary to fasten the hanger to the support structure at two distinct points, using separate nails or their equivalents.
The present invention solves the problems of the prior art, by providing a hanger which comes with a pre-loaded nail, and which requires only one such nail for installation. Despite its use of a single nail, the hanger of the present invention holds the pipe just as securely as the prior art devices which use two nails.